New Lineups System (added in 6.5.53)

[JeffR]

As mentioned in the update notes, version 6.5.63 added a new Lineups screen that allows you to specify lineup priorities for your players so you don't have to re-do your lines every time you get a minor injury or suspension. The intent is something similar to the Lineups feature in Out of the Park Baseball. This option only works for human-run teams, the AI will continue to make lineup decisions on a game-by-game basis with its own logic.

To use this feature, there's a new "Lineups" option on the team menu. Clicking it opens a screen with a "dressed list" (as on the lines screen) that includes all of your contracted players (colour-coded as on the Depth Chart screen), and two tabs with lists for each position (20 spots each) for even-strength and special teams lines (as well as goalies, extra attackers, and shootouts.)

If the lists are empty (as they are by default), they do nothing; the game operates normally and you'll still have to make changes for yourself. So if you don't want to use this feature, make sure they're clear (there's a "Clear Linups" option on the Action Menu) and the game will simply operate as it used to. Additionally, for the lineups to be used, your "Setting Lineups and Tactics" option (in Manager Settings) must be set to your assistant - essentially, you're turning the assistant on but using the lineups to override the logic it would normally use.

If, however, any players are present on the Even Strength tab, the AI will override your regular lines with the order used on the list. Nefore each game the AI will clear the line data completely, and then do the following:

-it will first attempt to fill all the lines and spots on the dressed list according to the listed priorities
-when the game fills the lines, it will fill them unit-by-unit in the order C/LW/RW/LD/RD, using the priority list to determine the next available player to go into a slot, then go on to the next unit
-when a player is added to a line he's also dressed and locked to that spot
-if there are open lineup and/or line spots remaining, they will be filled by the regular AI lineup and line selection functions (note that this can also function as a way to force the AI auto-select your lines on a game-by-game basis without needing to use Assistant: Create Lines every time - if you only add one player to the even-strength page, that'll activate the Lineups feature, place that one guy, and then have the AI handle all of the other lines. Effectively, it's something like GM-only mode while you're playing as GM/Coach.)

There are some new action buttons related to this feature:

1. On the Lines screen, Create Lines from Lineups: this just uses the Lineups AI logic to showw what the AI will do when it has to create a lineup for a game, which will let you see if your Lineups are working the way you intend, without needing to actually play a game.

2. On the Lineups Screen, AI Set Lineups will fill out the lineups using some very crude logic (just sorting by talent, essentially.) We don't actually recommend using the list in that order, you should still try to choose your line combinations in a sensible way. The button can just save you some drag-and-dropping: use it to start your lists, then shuffle your players around as desired.

3. Also on the Lineups Screen, Clear Lineups will erase all the entries on that screen, which, as mentioned above, will deactivate the use of the Lineups feature in games.

Note that tactics will be unaffected by this feature: for example, if you have unit-level tactics turned on for your third line, they'll still be in place regardless of who the Lineups fill that line with.

This is, obviously, just a starting point; we'll likely make some revisions to this screen to improve usability and functionality once we have some user feedback.

[DrunkenTeddy]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Additionally, for the lineups to be used, your "Setting Lineups and Tactics" option (in Manager Settings) must be set to your assistant - essentially, you're turning the assistant on but using the lineups to override the logic it would normally use.

Doesn't this mean that our assistant will change our tactics too? Is it possible to use the lineups feature without handing over tactics control to the assistant?

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by DrunkenTeddy

Doesn't this mean that our assistant will change our tactics too? Is it possible to use the lineups feature without handing over tactics control to the assistant?

At the moment, yeah. The way the line AI works, it needs access to the tactics as well, so the two need to be combined as an option. But with the Lineups, that removes most of the need for that, so I think we're probably going to have to have a sub-option that lets you use the Lineups but retain at least partial control of tactics.

[Whitebear]

An option that tell the assistant not to use a player which his condition is 80% and below would be nice.

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by Whitebear

An option that tell the assistant not to use a player which his condition is 80% and below would be nice.

The regular assistant, not the Lineups? It does take the fitness level into account, but if there's a large ability difference between a player and a potential substitute, it'll require that the player be in really bad shape before he gets switched out.

[KevT90]

Originally Posted by JeffR

Additionally, for the lineups to be used, your "Setting Lineups and Tactics" option (in Manager Settings) must be set to your assistant.

Therefore not working if playing in Challenge mode ?

[JeffR]

Originally Posted by kokid90

Therefore not working if playing in Challenge mode ?

Yeah, since that option can't be changed in Challenge mode. That mode requires all the lineup decisions be made on a game-to-game basis, the lineups system is intended for games when you want less of a hands-on experience for those choices.